• United Airlines plans to roll out Economy Plus rows with no middle seat and a shared table on its new Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
  • The option will go on sale later this year, with pricing to be disclosed.
  • United said it expects to be the only U.S. airline offering such rows, following European carriers Lufthansa and Finnair.
  • The move follows United’s earlier announcement of “Relax Rows” that let economy passengers on some Boeing planes convert three seats into a couch.
  • Andrew Nocella, United’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said the offerings give customers “choice and value in every cabin.”

Carrier joins European airlines in offering empty-seat option

United Airlines said Tuesday it will introduce a new Economy Plus seating option on its Airbus A321XLR aircraft that eliminates the middle seat and replaces the space with a shared table between the aisle and window passengers. The Chicago-based carrier plans to disclose pricing and begin sales later this year.

The new arrangement will debut in a single row on each A321XLR, though United suggested the no-middle-seat configuration could expand to other aircraft. Passengers in the aisle and window seats of that row will have extra elbow room and access to the shared table, while the middle seat remains vacant.

United framed the offering as part of a broader investment in the cabin experience. “We’re investing nose-to-tail across our fleet,” Andrew Nocella, United’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said in a statement Tuesday. Nocella said the new Economy Plus row and earlier additions give customers more “choice and value in every cabin.”

The airline expects to be “the only U.S. airline” with such rows, Nocella said. European carriers Lufthansa and Finnair already offer empty middle seats in business class. Other airlines have long allowed travelers to pay extra or purchase adjacent seats to keep them empty.

The announcement comes months after United introduced “United Relax Rows,” which beginning early next year will let economy passengers on some wider Boeing aircraft turn a row of three seats into a flat surface for sleeping or lounging after takeoff. The middle-seat elimination marks the airline’s latest effort to monetize cabin space by converting the most disliked seat on a plane into a paid amenity.

The move extends a trend across the largest U.S. airlines to focus business strategies on premium passengers. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, carriers have added priority security lanes, invite-only lounges, and early boarding for travelers willing to pay more. United also raised bag fees earlier this year and introduced tiered premium fares.

Budget-conscious travelers may face a widening gap between premium and standard economy offerings. Passengers on the same flight often experience starkly different service, from cramped seats and long waits to chef-prepared meals and champagne. United executives have said premium investments are part of a broader strategy to improve every traveler’s experience, not solely to chase big spenders.